- Animal lovers angered after viral video shows moment a visitor decided to ‘wake up’ Meng Da
- Keepers say they will reassess physical safety measures and improve inspections
The report quoted the person who shot the video as saying the culprits threw objects to “wake the panda up”.
On Weibo, Beijing Zoo assured panda lovers that Meng Da was unhurt and unruffled by the stone-throwing. The zoo promised to improve security and inspections at the panda enclosure.
Meanwhile, on social media there were calls for better protection of China’s national symbol in zoos. “How dare they hurt our lovable national treasure?” one Weibo user wrote.
In July last year, visitors to a reserve in Foping county in Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, were asked to leave and blacklisted after throwing stones at a panda, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Chinese tourists kill kangaroo, hurling bricks to make it hop
That followed an incident in April last year, when a 12-year-old kangaroo in Fuzhou Zoo, Fujian province, was fatally injured after visitors hurled bricks and chunks of concrete at it in an attempt to make it hop.
Threatening or injuring zoo and park animals can result in a fine of 100 yuan (US$15) and offenders may face criminal charges under Beijing municipal law.
Source: SCMP
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